After 6 months of SEO + AEO experiments, here's what actually moved rankings (and what didn't)
Over the last 6 months I've been running experiments across different topics while building content for my SaaS.
One thing became very clear:
Most of the common AEO advice isn't what determines whether a page gets surfaced.
Here's what consistently mattered.
1. Indexing is the first gate
It sounds obvious, but if Google or Bing hasn't indexed the page, don't expect ChatGPT or other search-based AI systems to surface it.
Before thinking about AI optimization, make sure your pages are actually getting indexed.
2. Search intent is more important than formatting
One thing I started checking for every page was the queries Google associated with it in Search Console.
For example:
- I write a comparison page.
- Google mostly ranks it for "how to" queries.
That's usually a sign the page isn't matching the intended intent.
Instead of rewriting everything, I either waited for Google to understand the page better or adjusted the content until the ranking queries aligned with the page's purpose.
This consistently produced better results than tweaking headings or adding more schema.
3. Competition still beats optimization
One of my biggest wins came from targeting a topic with very little competition.
The page started appearing in Google AI and ChatGPT within about a week.
On the other hand, I've published content around highly competitive topics using the exact same process and those pages still struggle.
The difference wasn't "better AEO."
It was competition.
So what actually worked?
- Making sure pages get indexed.
- Matching content to the search intent Google recognizes.
- Finding topics with genuine content gaps.
- Building topical clusters instead of isolated articles.
- Publishing genuinely useful content.
What didn't consistently make a difference
I tested most of the common advice floating around:
- Putting the answer in the first paragraph.
- FAQ Schema.
- Lots of tables.
- Tiny content chunks.
- Every heading written as a question.
None of these consistently improved rankings by themselves.
They may improve readability, but they don't replace good topical coverage and clear intent.
Curious if others have observed something similar, or if you've found factors that consistently move the needle beyond the basics.
